NONE
Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.
NOT APPLICABLE
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the removal of oil-based contaminants from bilge water being discharged from a boat or ship, in general, and to a new and improved bilge water filter apparatus which is both readily serviceable and highly effective, in particular.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known and understood, in inboard and inboard/outboard motorized vessels, a certain amount of oil as leaks from the engine, the transmissions and the various outdrives remains in the bilge area until such time as the operator of the vessel determines to purge the accumulation. Typically, the purging is done by using a motorized bilge pump system if available, or by the simple removal of a bilge plug.
As will be appreciated, when purging the accumulation, the operator is discharging mixtures of water and oil into lakes, lagoons, bays, rivers or oceans where the craft is sailingxe2x80x94and if done on dry land, the discharge flows into the soil and/or into the streets. Ultimately, the discharge can lead to extensive environmental destructionxe2x80x94or if done on dry land, to something as simple as an oil slick on the ground which can cause a motor vehicle accident. Additionally, the discharge can lead to wildlife impairing damage, as well as significant clean-up costs where an area of contamination rises above an accepted level of pollution.
As is also well known, extensive legislation has been enacted worldwide in recent years to maintain clean waters. As a part of a dramatically increased spending program, this legislation and its accompanying regulations have been strictly applied against boaters, boat dealers, and boating service centers who might otherwise discharge oil and other petroleum-based contaminants into the water. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, one particular concern involves the bilge water which is periodically discharged from the hulls of boats, and which typically includes gasoline, transmission and power steering fluid, cleaning solvent and paint accumulations.
Obviously, a filtration system that secures the safety of the environment, and provides a means of effectively cleaning these waste materials inexpensively and simply is highly desirable. One approach that has been proposed to accomplish this is that described in Application Ser. No. 09/680,181, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,750 entitled xe2x80x9cExternally Mounted Bilge Water Filter and Methods Thereforxe2x80x9d, in describing the use of a disposable filter. Analysis and investigation, however, have shown that serviceable filters oftentimes are more effective than disposable filters in removing contaminantsxe2x80x94and, over the long haul, are more economical to use in providing optimum results.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an enhanced bilge water filter apparatus for oil-based contaminants.
It is object of the present invention, also, to provide such apparatus which offers a high degree of contaminant removal, at a relatively inexpensive cost.
It is another object of the invention to provide such apparatus which is easily serviceable in use.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such apparatus which allows adaptation in a variety of different manners.
As will become clear from the following description, the apparatus of the invention relies on the molecular weight difference between water and oil by which the oil always floats on top. As will also be seen, the operation relies on the availability of filter pads which allow water to pass through quite easily, but which absorb oil-based contaminants. Following the realization that the longer the xe2x80x9cdwell timexe2x80x9d is of the oil on the water while in contact with the filter pads, the greater the oil-based contaminant absorption will be, the apparatus of the invention incorporates this through the utilization of a generally U-configured pipe aligned vertically within an enclosed casing.
As with the externally mounted bilge water filter of Application Ser. No. 09/680,181 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,750, the stationary bilge water filter apparatus of the present invention is adapted to be externally coupled to the bilge water discharge outlet of the vessel by a snap-fit or friction-fit coupling, for example. As will become clear from the description that follows, the enclosed casing aligns the pipe in vertical orientation, with the oil-based contaminant bilge water being inputted into the casing by way of an included inlet. A first open end of the U-configured pipe is overlaid by a layer of material restrictive to the flow of any oil-based contaminant in the bilge water, while a second open end of the pipe (also overlaid by the layer) is coupled with an outlet of the casing. A plurality of the filter pads are added atop the overlying layer, adapted to absorb the oil-based contaminants in the bilge water. With the overlying layer including a coarse gravel or charcoal mixture, for instance, the oil-based contaminants in the inputted bilge water will be prevented from flowing to the first open end of the U-configured pipe. With the bilge water inputted above the overlying layerxe2x80x94at a side surface of the casing, for examplexe2x80x94, the oil-based contaminants thus rise as the water level in the casing rises, to then be absorbed by the filter pads floating on the water""s surface. As the water level continues to dwell in the casing, more-and-more of the oil-based contaminants thus become absorbed, to the extent that a removable lid provided in the top surface of the casing can then be removed by a user, to simply reach in and remove and replace the filter pads as they become filled. With the second open end of the U-configured pipe coupling to the outlet either downwardly below the overlying coarse material, or extending sideways to the outlet across it, the discharge becomes one of substantially contaminant-free water only. Testing has shown that well over 90% of the introduced oil-based contaminants can be removed in this manner, with the process being able to be speeded-up in time by the mere activation of the vessel""s bilge pump to begin with.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the enclosed casing is selected to have a vertical axis of height dimension greater than an included horizontal axis of length dimension. Individual ones of the plurality of filter pads are vertically aligned in columns, horizontally spaced one from anotherxe2x80x94and to further enhance the absorption provided, the filter pads may be additionally spaced one from another in one or more rows. As the oil-based contaminated bilge water rises in the casing, more and more of the filter pads will be understood to come into play in absorbing the oil-based contaminants, while allowing the substantially contaminant free bilge water to pass. In this embodiment, the casing inlet is included within a side surface, while the casing outlet is included within a bottom surface. Such outlet then effectively serves as the discharge outlet of the boat.
Thus, the bilge water filter apparatus of the invention will be understood to include the casing, its inlet and outlet, the overlying coarse material layer, the U-configured pipe and the absorption filter pads. Because the petroleum products, are of lesser molecular weight than that of the water, the oil contamination floats on top; and as the casing fills with the contaminated bilge water, the filtration process continues to allow sufficient dwell time for the oils and water to separate, with the filter pads absorbing the oil molecules while permitting only contaminant-free water to pass and drain from the outlet. Any oils that might still remain, continue, however, to be prevented from escaping to the casing outlet by virtue of the gravel/charcoal mixture or similar coarse material layer.